Equity Leaders Program: 100 Students Commissioned

Equity Bank Uganda has today commissioned 100 scholars as the fourth cohort of Equity Leaders Program Uganda, joining 319 previously admitted scholars selected based on their Uganda Advanced Certification of Education examination results.

The Equity Leaders Program (ELP) is a mentorship and leadership development program run by the Equity Group across four countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and DR Congo. ELP, under the Education and Leadership Development pillar of Equity Group Foundation, is committed to empowering academically gifted young scholars.

This rigorous program equips participants with leadership skills, mentorship, and professional networks to address Africa’s most pressing challenges. It blends academic excellence, character development, mentorship, and practical experience to cultivate a generation of future leaders.

The program offers a comprehensive package including paid internship, mentorship, coaching, and support for students pursuing higher education both locally and internationally.

During his opening remarks, Equity Bank Uganda Managing Director, Gift Shoko, expressed his excitement about the program’s continued success. He emphasized that through the Equity Leaders Program, Equity Bank is giving young minds valuable exposure to the corporate world and nurturing their potential to contribute to socio-economic transformation of the country and beyond.

“This program equips scholars with critical thinking, business acumen, leadership, and life skills, transforming both individuals and communities,” Shoko said. He also highlighted the unique opportunity for scholars to engage with –world class executives, gaining mentorship from leaders dedicated to shaping the next generation of change-makers.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on behalf of Equity Group Foundation Executive Chairman, Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Group Foundation Director Operations, Dr. Joanne Korir said “Today, we are proud to commission a new cohort of young, talented, and driven scholars into the Equity Leaders Program. These students represent a generation that will carry forward the vision of transforming our society through leadership grounded in integrity, innovation, and service. As Equity Group Foundation, we remain committed to nurturing talent, bridging opportunity gaps, and creating pathways for excellence in education and leadership”

Equity Group Foundation Board Director, Sam Bwaya, commended the scholars for completing the one-week induction and implored them to live a life of service, selflessness and seek to impact communities.

“The ELP scholars exemplify our commitment to driving socio-economic growth across Africa. Today’s commissioning ceremony marks a moment of pride not only for our scholars but for Equity Bank Uganda and the Equity Group Foundation’s vision of empowering young leaders to create meaningful change within their communities,” he said.

In January 2025, 29 of the 122 scholars from the maiden cohort graduated in various disciplines, with some now fully employed by the Bank, while others pursuing careers in other fields.

ELP continues to demonstrate remarkable impact with scholars benefitting from full university scholarships to world-class institutions and paid internships, significantly contributing to youth employability and leadership across the region. So far 970 ELP scholars have joined global leading universities including 233 different Universities in 37 countries and 204 in the Ivy League Universities among others.

As part of the program, scholars undergo a 3-6 month paid internship with Equity Bank, receiving a monthly stipend and gaining hands-on experience across various departments. Post-internship, mentorship, and coaching continue throughout their university education to ensure a holistic development experience.

The scholars also benefit from a comprehensive three – month College Counselling program where scholars receive expert guidance on essay writing, university selection, and language exam preparation. The scholars will be joining universities in Uganda and across the globe.

The Equity Leaders Program (ELP), which is one of the initiatives under Equity Group Foundation’s (EGF) Education and Leadership Development pillar, was founded in 1998 and has scaled up over time to benefit 29,515 university scholars. Among these, 970 scholars have been admitted to top global universities attending 233 different universities in 37 countries, including 204 in the Ivy League universities on fully funded scholarships. The program has facilitated 9,700 paid internships, significantly contributing to youth employability and leadership across the region.

 The Program is dedicated to empowering young academically gifted scholars. Currently the Equity Leaders Program runs in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and DRC. This program seeks to nurture these promising scholars through intensive mentorship and leadership development exposure and initiatives. It is fervently committed to stimulating personal and professional growth, fostering creativity and innovation, and promoting active community engagement among scholars.

The leadership development model seeks to develop scholars in four program areas: personal and professional development; global exposure; creativity & innovation; and community engagement. Scholars in the paid internship program have an opportunity to join the College Counselling Program to receive coaching and mentorship on how to apply to and secure admissions in leading global institutions. For those who study locally, they join ELP University Chapters that provide them an opportunity to continue being in a network and further hone their leadership and personal development. After this, ELP graduates from these institutions have proceeded to have fulfilling careers in leading global institutions in the fields of Finance, Health, IT, among others.

 

Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the corporate impact implementing foundation of Equity Group Holdings Plc, has as its mission to champion the transformation of lives and livelihoods for 100 million people in Africa by 2030 through the design and implementation of innovative programs that leverage Equity Group’s infrastructure and partnerships to create shared value and prosperity.

Established in 2008 as the Group’s social engine, the Foundation delivers economic opportunities, capacity, tools, and technologies that enable individuals and businesses to increase productivity, become more resilient and share in socio-economic growth. EGF responds to the continuum of issues that challenge the socio-economic advancement of the people of Africa, especially low-income individuals, and families. EGF’s Creating Shared Value [CSV] strategy provides social development initiatives in Education and Leadership Development, Food and Agriculture, Health, Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Development, Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Social Protections for the most vulnerable citizens and Innovation and Technology in order to solve some of Africa’s most challenging issues and support talented young people with ideas to thrive.

EGF’s programs are underpinned by technology, innovation, and synergy as a central means to launch, nurture, and scale up Africa’s next generation of successful leaders and entrepreneurs delivered to all communities in which Equity has operations.